Google’s 2012 PAC spending nears half a million

Other tech company PACs have also been active in 2012.

Microsoft’s PAC doled out $24,000 in July, bringing its total campaign contributions for the year to $565,500. The Redmond, Wash.-based company contributed $19,500 to Democrats including Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and John Barrow (D-Ga.).

Microsoft’s PAC contributed $5,000 to Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) Reinventing A New Direction (RAND) PAC, and $2,000 to former Republican congressman Matt Salmon’s bid for a seat in Arizona’s 5th district.

Yahoo’s campaign committee spent $8,500 in July, raising its total contributions for the year to $36,500. Silicon Valley neighbor Oracle contributed $5,500 last month to candidates and has given $174,250 this year.

Telecom giants were also big spenders on campaigns last month. AT&T’s PAC spent $100,850 in July, bringing its total campaign contributions to nearly $1,175,000 so far in 2012. Comcast’s PAC spent $53,500 on campaign contributions in July and has given just under $1 million to campaigns so far this year, $934,000 in total.